With a background in Gothenburg’s indie-pop scene and a love for dirty beats, Smok-Mon evolved. Armed with an ever-changing modular synth and an old school sampler. He’s now creating slowly growing textures, deep bass and melancholic, yet playful grooves. He released his single titled “Ovan Molnen”, the intricate atmospheric vibe you’re going to become abducted into. The magnetic upbeat rhythm is the foundation for the colorful yet hasty dance pop tune. I was able to paint a picture of pixelization, cloudy colorful skies, and random objects of aesthetically pleasurable viewings such as some of my favorite snacks, activities etc. That’s what I enjoyed most about “Ovan Molnen” was his ability to allow his listeners to paint an image that’s settling for them while listening to the different sounds produced in the record. I believe a challenging aspect an artist may have if they strip away the vocals and lyrics, is still finding a way to hone in the listener’s attention and create the bridge between the song and the ear. However, Smok-Mon fabricated the bridge fluently for us to walk across and enter his song in a smooth-sailing manner! Listen to “Ovan Molnen” here. #BuzzMusic

While growing up outside Chicago, Andrea has never doubted for any second that music was the route for her. With receiving her first guitar as early as the age of 5, Andrea propelled herself in her career with her first rock band when she was just 8. After 5 years with the band, they disbanded but it still didn’t kill Andrea’s spirit and determination to reach the top. “What I Know Now”, the melody you won’t forget by Andrea Veltri, begins with the introduction to the song by giving us a slow build up before the main climax. I love how the song felt like a progression in a story from the introduction to the resolution, with a conflict character in between. It depicts her epic ability to song-write and show a sense of storytelling in her music where fans can connect to on a deeper level. Andrea has a very unique and interesting voice. I can see her crossing genres between pop, rock, country or even fusing all 3 genres together! Her voice in “What I Know Now” had a country twang, rocking rasp, and pop dynamic adding the perfect flare to the subdued love bop that you can’t help but fall in love with! Listen to “What I Know Now” here and get to know Andrea Veltri in our interview below! Hi Andrea, care to introduce yourself to our readers? Hi, thank you so much for having me! My name is Andrea Veltri, and I am an independent country artist from the Chicagoland area. I have been pursuing music as a career since I was about 8 years old, and since then I have never looked back. Do you recall the emotions you felt opening up for your first act? When I was given the opportunity to open up for a few more well-known acts, I can honestly remember feeling so overcome with joy when I was told about the opportunity. Being able to share the stage with some bigger names in the music industry was such an incredible accomplishment for me. Stepping on any stage with any artist, big or small, will always be a moment that I live for. How has it been in Nashville writing music? Have the environment and your surroundings inspired you in any way? I absolutely love Nashville! Writing there is just as incredible as the city. Being surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands of individuals with incredible talent, just inspires me even more. It can also be very intimidating, because of that reason alone. There are so many people reaching for the same goal with the same drive, and it really shows how competitive the music industry really is. Since I don’t live there permanently, I think every time I visit gives me a fresh fill for when I come home. I try and head down there about 2-3 times a year, and I’m looking forward to visiting there again in the spring. Tell us a little bit about this EP you’re planning on releasing, what can we expect? I am so excited to finally be releasing my very first EP! As of right now, it is set to release some time late Spring. My recent single, “What I Know Now”, will be on there along with 5-6 other originals I have written. This EP is going to be filled with real and honest music that I believe every listener will be able to identify with. I have always tried to write music that comes from a very real place, and I believe this album will really show a part of who I am as an artist, a writer, and person. Did you have any inspiration for writing “What I Know Now” ? if so mind sharing? I had actually started writing “What I Know Now”, in October of 2017, but I had the idea for the song a few months prior. I had been going through a lot of different changes around me in my professional and personal life, and once I decided to put the pen to paper, everything just flowed out of me. This song on paper is so black and white, and very one sided, but when it is listened to, it can be interpreted so many different ways and relate to so many people and situations. I love that this song, along with many others has the ability to do that to the listener. What’s the most exciting part about starting a new year in your opinion? The most exciting part about the New Year to me, is having the ability to look at what’s behind us, but keep moving forward. I am so excited to set new goals for 2019! Connect with Andrea Veltri on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/andreaveltriofficial Facebook: www.facebook.com/AndreaVeltri Twitter: www.twitter.com/andreaveltri_ Website: www.andreaveltrimusic.com

Leigh Sinclair is a soulful singer and songwriter from Houston, Texas who aims to bring a fresh take on what it means to be a vocalist, musician, and person devoted to her craft with her dynamic vocal range and artistic mission. Her style has been likened to the witchy edge of Stevie Nicks combined with the raw heartbreak of the late Amy Winehouse. True to her Cajun roots, Leigh's sound combines jazz, blues, rock, & soul-pop with captivating power. Leigh Sinclair released “Tread Lightly”, a song that sticks to her southern grit while showcasing her sensual side. “Tread Lightly” begins with a sultry and bluesy instrumental sound before her passionate and seductive vocals transitions in. You can instantly perceive that Leigh is filled with significant amount of power and range in her voice. One of my first impressions while listening to “Tread Lightly” was “Her voice is like silk”. It was smooth-sailing, yet showed the potential of her hitting those big bold notes. It gave me chills the way she was able to take her voice through different registers in a connected sequence without a single detection of errors. The lyrics in “Tread Lightly” from what I interpreted discussed a girl who is attempting to accept the heartache from a man. She’s allowing it to sink in, yet she don’t want him to interfere in her life in any way possible. Overall, Tread Lightly was a powerful song energized by subdued elements. We had the chance to chat with Leigh about her upcoming release. Check it out below! Hi Leigh, care to introduce yourself to our readers? Hello Buzz readers & internet frands. I’m Leigh Sinclair of Houston, Texas. I play a red Fender Strat and sing from the soul. I’m apart of a few bands, most actively 'The Bad Bad Randys' and 'Tipsy Kitten,' a group I started with my sister. Currently I’m trying to find the balance between promoting my music and my confusion around exhibitionism. I feel so not cool for saying that! Oh well! I have a degree in philosophy, which makes it hard to turn off the analytical brain, the part of me that wants to think in black and white. That’s where playing music comes in. Stimulating the dusty corners of my little heart. Essentially giving myself permission to let my hair down. It’s the duality of being a performer I guess. Off stage & in my spare time, I recharge by writing, reading, spending too much time on astrology/being witchy with my sisters, and escaping to the Texas hill country. How was it growing up in Texas? Were you ever influenced by your outside environments? Hell yes. Growing up in Houston has influenced who I’ve become (and who I don’t want to become). Houston is a money town. The Htown hustle: everybody is on their grind. Which is inspiring and sometimes exhausting! That’s why its nice to hit the road and play small towns. Houston has a wonderful jazz & blues scene that has molded the way I play and how I feel about myself as an artist. I’ve been welcomed in so many incredible circles of professional musicians. The love is big here and the talent even bigger. It's a humbling place to grow as an artist. I’ve lived in a few different places but I find myself in Houston for the time being. I love Texas. It’s home. It’s a feeling. I am committed to playing music and activism. So I plan to stick around and help affect change in whatever way I can. Do you think your musical upbringing impacted your artistry in any way possible? My musical upbringing definitely impacted my artistry. I am a musical theatre/choir kid from the start. I have training in dancing and acting. I really wanted to study musical theatre in college, goo tBroadway, the whole thing. But I didn’t have the structure needed to pursue that type of goal. I sort of let that dream slip, and that’s when I picked up my guitar and took it seriously. I could say whatever the hell I wanted on stage. That was refreshing. My artistry has taken an authentic turn now, and I’m so grateful to be able to do what I do. It’s different from theatre but, in a sense, I take a lot from my training. I like to put on a show! Did you have any inspiration when writing “Tread Lightly” ? If so, mind sharing with our readers? The inspiration for Tread Lightly was pure heartbreak. I needed to bleed my heart out on the piano to get over a situation. And that’s what I did. In a petty way, I wanted the person who made me feel so small to see how I rose. I don’t know if that happened or not. The interesting part is, I don’t harbor emotions around the past once I process it, but I still get to sing it out and explore my lyrics in new ways. How would you explain the lyrical connotation of “Tread Lightly” to our readers? The title and chorus, “Tread Lightly,” came to me when thinking about the weight of people’s words. Empty promises were heavy on my heart when I wrote this tune. I was broken down. I felt I had been made a fool. So I take some jabs in there that my highest-zen-self isn’t proud of but I didn’t really care when writing it. That’s why I think it hits the way it does. I wasn’t told to write a heartbreak song. This spilled out of me. It’s raw. Some people say things to cut you down when they’re insecure and that’s what I experienced. I don’t know. I’ll probably be uncovering the lyrical connotation to all my songs forever. You’ll hear in the song that I admit to being a fool too. Somewhere in there I probably knew better. In the end, I still don’t know who was fooling who. What’s the dream and goal for you in 2019? Dreams and goals for 2019, oh baby! Here we go: Wrap my EP, “The Lover Sings." Tour it. Connect. Network. Let go. And finally, give myself permission instead of waiting for it from others. So you know, just a few things!! Thanks for reading y’all. Thank you for the platform Buzz. All my love, Leigh Connect with Leigh Sinclair on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/notyagrl_ Website: www.leighsinclairmusic.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/leighsinclairmusic

What was it like growing up in a small town in Northern California? Picture mountain peaks, framed in pine trees, beautiful lakes and mountain streams, the kind of scenes you see in dreams. I had a great time growing up in Westwood, California. Small town of 2,000 people with nearest mall being a 2 hour drive away.  Not one stop light in town. The kind of place where everyone knows your name and nothing goes unnoticed. It’s a tight knit community where I was able to build many great relationships and memories that I will never take for granted.  It was an amazing place to grow up, but I was more than ready for all the greater opportunities that the world has to offer. What inspired you to make music and why? Writing music is like meditation for me. It helps me to clear my my mind, to put greater meaning to emotions and experiences that words alone cannot express, to better understand myself and the world, and helps me to envision and project my future. It’s the constant quest for the perfect lyric, melody, music combination. Its art and expression in motion. I always knew I wanted to write music but got a late start. It was the transition out of my undergraduate studies and the search for myself that inspired me to write music. I felt drawn to it and could not deny the urge to buy my first guitar. I began writing songs on the guitar without any idea that I would be good at it, but everything seemed to fall into place. I never thought I’d be able to play guitar and sing nor that I would become a producer one day, but one thing led to another. I plan to have my first album complete in 2019. Let’s talk about this iconic single “Body Language” what prompted you to write this? What was the whole vision behind it? Ultimately, when I write music I don’t go in with a preconceived idea of what I want it to be.  I always start off by finding a great chord or progression that inspires an emotion or brings back a memory. Whatever melody or thought comes to mind is then layered over the chord(s) and it evolves from there into a composition. I try to let the song decide where it wants to go. “Body Language” started in exactly that way. It’s the representation of initial attraction between two people and the feelings and thoughts in one’s mind.  No words need be spoken. The anticipation, uncertainty, chemistry and excitement speak for themselves….”Body Language.” Will you be releasing a music video for Body Language anytime soon? I am currently working on some ideas for the music video, but it may be some time before I put one together. What are your plans for 2019? 2019 has big things in store.  I will be releasing one song per month until I complete my album.  The next single “Superstar” will release in all major stores official December 14th, 2018.  Once the album is complete I will begin actively performing. Connect with Josh Kinney on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/AcousticKinney Facebook: www.facebook.com/josh.kinney.5095 Website: www.acoustickinney.com

San Francisco’s Ozer has been nurturing his lyrical gift since the age of six when he first began using music as his sanctum and escape from the challenges in his life. When he was first introduced to J.Cole he was initially connected to Hip-Hop, inspired by J.cole’s execution and flow. Another artist who impacted Ozer is Kendrick Lamar. After years of cultivating his craft as an emcee, and persevering through the travails of life, Sam Ozer has evolved into a formidable force. He is equipped with an impeccable gift of extracting from the quintessence of life, transforming into a prolific composer and penetrating one's conscience with truth and eloquence that rivals the legends. He released his single “Waves” featuring artists such as MC-coy, and Ysmg. “Waves” begins with a wavy, quiet and laid-back background instrumental. Ozer’s distinctive rap flow stayed correctly on beat without missing a rhythm at all. He flows fluently and rides the wave of the song with authentic lyrics personable to him. “If you ain't talking about money then what you saying” the hook says. What I took from this song is that it showcases the dedication and determination Ozer has for success and becoming a great like his inspirations. I like subtle rap because you don’t have to do the most in order to fabricate a hit single. Ozer proved that with “Waves”. Listen to Ozer's new song "Waves" and check out our exclusive interview. Hi Ozer! Care to introduce yourself to our readers? My name is Ozer, I’m 23 years old and I’m an independent hip-hop artist out of San Francisco, CA. In what ways has writing music impacted you? Writing music has impacted me a lot. It’s definitely helped me discover more things about myself and it’s been an outlet for any emotion that might be feeling. I started taking music seriously after I had a deep talk with my pops and he started crying mid conversation. Mind you, I was only like 16 so I didn’t know how to feel or how to even talk about what had occurred. With me feeling like that, I turned to music to help me tell his story and express my feelings. How has it been growing up in San Francisco ? has the environment out there inspired your artistry? San Francisco is a great city. I’ve lived here my entire life and I wouldn’t trade that experience at all. I’ve seen a lot of good and I’ve seen a lot of bad within my city, but that’s what helped shape into the man and the artist that I am today. Lol it’s also really small, so everybody knows each other. It has a lot of great artists out here that I’ve been able to work with and they’ve inspired me in many ways. A lot of artists out here just want to build and create which is great. We’re always trying to throw events out here to bring everyone together and celebrate the underground music scene. What was the initial vision for your record “Waves”? I was in a hustler’s mindset when I made that joint. I just wanted people to have a record that not only they could vibe to but something that motivated them as well. Can you tell us about the creation process of "Waves"? That process was pretty organic, truthfully. I go on the internet and listen to beats everyday and I just so happened to come across the instrumental on YouTube. It took me about a week to write to it and then the other artists just naturally gravitated towards the sound once I played it for them. Which artist besides J.Cole are you a big fan of and why? I’m a huge Kendrick and Nipsey Hussle fan. I’ve been listening to them and Cole consistently for like 9-10 years. If I had to stay on this earth and only listen to those three, I’d be good. What’s your take on the current status of hip-hop in the music industry? I think hip-hop is in a great space. I think artists and fans are starting to realize that there’s not just one way to create “Hip-Hop” music. There’s so many ways to do it now, it’s sort of overwhelming lol. For instance you have an artist like Ski Mask The Slumped God who differs vastly from an artist like Bas, but they’re both still making dope ass music that you can vibe to. What's next for you in 2019? 2019 I’m definitely dropping a lot more visuals and focusing on gearing up for my next project, “Lost In Translation”. I’m ending 2018 with a good amount of momentum, so I’m just trying to keep that going. Connect with Ozer on social media: Instagram: @OzerSF Twitter: @OzerSF Youtube: OzerSF #BuzzMusic

FYI, is a rapper that has an authentic and casual flow to his presence. Hard-hitting lyrics, and showing real hip-hop and rap has returned and it's just one of the many elements FYI has to his artistry. He released his single “Boom” produced by iLLMind, a Grammy nominated producer who has produced for other bar-centric emcees. It immediately begins with his exclusive raw flow similar to the likes of artists like J.Cole and Kendrick Lamar, who speaks about real things going on and captures your attention by the uncut lyrics without any fabrication of transparency in their artistry. Rather direct or indirect, FYI is showing us the true definition of a emcee. Someone who lyrically spits the truth in a bold approach without holding back or fear of judgement. For that matter, I respect FYI a lot as an artist and rapper and his single “Boom” was able to hit harder for me. FYI has the unique urban, underground, upcoming rapper energy to him. The determination, drive and hunger to become the next big hit maker without losing their personal authenticity is the most riveting trait about him. Listen to FYI's new song "Boom". Get to know more about FYI and his music with our exclusive BuzzMusic interview. Mind telling our readers a little bit about your upbringing and how you got into music? My parents divorced when I was 4 years old, but my pops was always present in my life. My mother was a single mother until I was 9 years old and then I met my eventual step-father. Both my parents were into music and as a kid music was always present in my house. That's black households; they usually have a lot of soul in them and my family structure was not an exception. My mom had old school rappers that she liked to bump, but the person that actually got me into hip-hop was my step-pops. I guess it was because he was 10 years younger than my mom and only 12 years older than me when I met him. So he was kind of like an older brother in a strange way and my moms was the OG version of a cougar back then (laughs). Anyways, my step-pops being from the east coast really put me on game to hip hop in a way that I didn't see coming from California at that time. I was not hip to how deep the culture was but he lead me to get into that late 80s early 90s hip hop. That was my foundation and how I feel in love with music especially hip-hop. I was turned out after that so I used to groove (dance) coming up and started rapping when I was like in 6th grade or so. From that point on, I freestyled at school, battled kids after school, battled kids at school dances or community recreation centers, rapped at house parties, freestyled with the homies, any and everything to be a part of the culture. I was on it early for real. Then it grew into a more professional mind set and me wanting to create song concepts and then make albums. When you first heard the track with no verses, what was your initial vision for the song? Be aggressive.  I understand more and more when I'm making records that the music dictates the subject matter and the feel.  The track for "Boom" is aggressive, it has a f*ck you this is me attitude to it.  So the lyrics have to reflect that feel.  Once I got the vibe for the track then I knew what direction I wanted to take the song lyrically. I definitely wanted to cater to those that like to listen to high level lyricism and appreciate gritty sounding hip hop. !LLMind produced the track for "Boom" and he's worked with Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, and Jay-Z so the bar is set high and I wanted to approach the track showcasing that I'm here to go toe-to-toe with the heavyweights and land blows too.  I'm coming for the belt. You have a raw and uncut style of rapping, any influences from back in the day? My favorite rapper is NaS, but I was also like OutKast (both members), Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest, Black Thought of the Roots, Common, stic.man from Dead Prez, Cee-Lo Green (when he was in Goodie Mob), vintage Ice Cube; and the list goes on.  I always gravitated towards emcees that had a message in their music and enjoyed the craft of emceeing. I was always drawn to artists that approached the craft outside the box and gained mainstream success on their own terms. Out of all the songs you’ve written, which would you say has impacted you the most? That's a good question. I think its too early to tell still. Personally, I have an attachment to all the records I've written for different reasons. Each song is like a time capsule for me; I know exactly what was going on in my life at the time a particular record was made. At this point, every song impacts the growth of my artistry and my goal is to make bigger and bigger moments through the music each time I release new music. So presently, the song that is impacting me the most is Boom and my new album as a whole, Herecember 20NOW. What’s the major plan for 2019? Stay active and keep building a larger following. Being consistent is the key. I plan to release a video to my next single, SYS, from my new album, Herecember 20NOW. Also I'd like to tour and would like to release another album in 2019. Connect with FYI on social media: Instagram: www.Instagram.com/FYIpsalms Facebook: FYIpsalms #BuzzMusic

Timorris Lane is a multilingual international Pop/R&B artist residing in the Big Apple, NYC. Timorris has made great strides so far, from the release of his mixtape, Love is All We Need, and his first international performance in Tokyo on a national Japanese television program, Nodojiman The World (のどじまんTHEワールド), to the release of his EP, Big City Life. “Big City Life” is based on some of his experiences and life-lessons that he has learned while traversing the mean streets. His single “Top Of The World” was released off this imaginable experience. From what I’ve took by listening to this single was that Timmoris Lane is yearning for the number one spot and feeling completely satisfied by everything life has to give. I love music like that because it’s completely enchanting for people like me who regularly dream about things larger in life. It touches base on all you go-getters and dream makers. ANOTHER, lyrical interpretation I took from "Top Of The World" would have to be the companionship between him and a girl he’s completely engrossed too. Wanting to make her feel like she’s on cloud nine and enjoying the contentedness between them both. “Top Of The World” has the groovy danceable flavor, you’re bound to dance along too. It’s absolutely marketable and I can see many people enjoying every element of the record from the fun lyricism to the shoulder bopping beat. Even Timmoris Lane's vocals capture the moment when he reaches full belts while toning it down at the right spot in the song. The timing and execution of “Top Of The World” was absolutely impressive! Listen to Timorris Lane's new song "Top Of The World" and connect with Timorris on social media through the links below. Hi Timorris, care to introduce yourself to our readers? What's up everyone! My name is Timorris Lane. I am a singer/songwriter, originally from Cleveland, OH, but now I live in NYC. I would describe my sound as international Pop/R&B, reaching not only people here in the states but throughout the world. When writing “Top Of The World” what was the image of inspiration you had in mind? When writing "Top of the World," I literally envisioned myself walking into a club and seeing a beautiful girl. I wanted to talk to her so the lyrics state exactly what I'd say, "Hey girl so fly, lookin so right, gotta make you mine. Don't wanna waste your time, I just wanna know, can I make you mine? Don't mean no harm just can't resist everything you are. I want it, I want it and I need it. Not just your body, but your mind and your spirit..." How would you summarize the meaning behind “Top Of The World”? "Top of The World" is a song that expresses the feeling you get when you're with the love of your life. It's as if you are on top of the world and nothing can stop you! If you could select any current charting artist to feature on this single who would you choose and why? I would love to feature a female vocalist. I think that singer/songwriter, Jade Novah, who is also from Cleveland and is making some great waves in the music industry, would be an awesome artist to collaborate with for this song. Do you plan on releasing any visuals alongside the record? I have released a music video that is on both VEVO and Youtube for "Top of The World." What can we expect from you in 2019? In 2019, you can expect brand new music from me. I plan on releasing a few singles before my full length debut album release. It's going to be an excellent project, and not just an "album" made up of dope singles, but it will be an ALBUM that flows from start to finish. I can't wait! Connect with Timmoris Lane on social media: Facebook: www.Facebook.com/TimorrisLane Instagram: www.instagram.com/TimorrisLane Twitter: www.Twitter.com/TimorrisLane Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/timorrislane Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1WZdaBkqCAwG4WIrS8xPQP?si=B9zy2TdpTzGZUbYakQWiMw #BuzzMusic

Scot Stoddard is an independent artist from Syracuse, NY, who relocated to Kentucky. Scot is a veteran guitarist and drummer on the local Syracuse music scene. Scot Stoddard recorded his first full-length album in 2012, a total solo effort, titled "Stories" which was his first release on Spotify and featured a song which reached success titled "Desire". Scot's album "Stories" contains music ranging from metal, to jazz influence, to rock ballads. Scot began to hone in on his craft and self-proclaimed his artistry as “Art rock”. A unique and new style of rock music which makes the release of his single “Transcend” feel more refreshing and idiosyncratic. The record "Transcend” felt more like an instrumental more than your average single due to the limitation of lyrics and vocals. You can tell the main focus point of the song was to showcase Scots ability to convey a story through an instrumentalist point of a view. It was interesting and made the song more valuable for me. One of the cool aspects of “Transcend” would have to be the artistic vision Scot had for the record. He was able to really electrify us with the classic and retro feel in a chaotic mix up and mash up of different background instruments. His vocal resonance was intriguing and different from your average singer. He had a nice tone and contagious melody, exceeding our expectations. Overall, "Transcend" has this FX rock type of vibe I’m sure people will love! Listen to Scot Stoddard's new song "Transcend". We had the pleasure of interviewing Scot about his music and what we can expect in 2019. Hi Scot, care to introduce yourself to our readers? Sure, I'd enjoy introducing myself to the readers!  I'm Scot Stoddard, an independent artist, formerly from Syracuse, NY, but I've recently moved to the Lexington, KY area.  My main instrument these days is guitar, although my first instrument was drums, which I started playing at age 10, and I also play bass guitar, keyboards, synthesizers, MIDI instruments, and sing.  I was a veteran on the Syracuse music scene, playing in many bands over the years as either a drummer or guitarist, and often as guitarist I doubled on keyboards.  I've played many styles of music in these bands, both cover bands and bands that wrote and recorded original music, ranging from blues to classic rock to grunge to metal to prog rock to pop and/or Top 40.  I've always had in interest in recording, and around about 2012 I was getting a little tired of the Syracuse gigging scene and made the choice to put more efforts into writing and recording my own music; thus, becoming a solo indie artist.  I wrote and recorded my first album, "Stories", around that time, and I played all the instruments myself:  Guitars, bass guitar, drums, synthesizers, and sang the vocals.  Stories was finished by 2015, but not released until January 2017, shortly followed by my second album, "Transcend", again, a solo album, in July 2017, which I had been working on since "Stories" was completed.  In September 2017 I released a single in collaboration with my friend Catherine Corelli called "Cassini Drive", which was a house/trance/techno song, but also featured Catherine on saxophone and myself on lead guitar; something a bit different, a kind of genre mashup that turned out to be very interesting!  In 2018 I formed a project called Conspiracy Theories Project with some friends from Long Island, NY, which again was an online collaboration project, and we released a couple classic rock cover songs.  So that's a quick summation of my history as a musical artist. How was it growing up in Syracuse, New York? I actually didn't grow up in Syracuse, NY, but about a hundred miles east of there in a small town.  There wasn't much to do there, so I spent a lot of time learning how to play drums, and played in all the junior high and high school music organizations:  Band, orchestra, jazz ensemble.  I was heavy into music then, and still am!  I moved to Syracuse when I was 17 to attend the music program at a local community college and earned an associate's degree in music performance, majoring in percussion, but this is also where I learned music theory and had two years of piano instruction.  This is also where I started learning guitar, as I had a couple good friends that were guitar majors and they helped me get started. When did you first knew that music was the lane for you? Well, as I've said here, I've always been into music.  My dad was a music teacher, and my mother was also very talented on piano and singing, so I was always around music from an early age on.  When I really decided that I liked the musician life, however, was at age 14 when I started gigging with my dad, playing commercial music for private parties, weddings, bars...all over the place.  So I caught the gig bug early on, and just really enjoyed playing music for people and entertaining.  Then after music college, I starting joining bands in Syracuse, one of which went into a local recording studio and cut a few tracks; so that's where the recording end became a passion. How challenging it is to learn an instrument rather than vocals? Well, vocals IS an instrument, and it's one of the most difficult, really, so this is a difficult question to answer.  I'm not a trained vocalist, I've never taken voice lessons or concentrated a lot on singing, it's just something I always did and, in retrospect, I wish I had taken lessons, because it's a tough thing to get a grip on to get the most out of your own voice.  So I guess for those blessed with an awesome natural singing voice, there's less of a challenge there, but that's not me!  The thing with me, in learning any instrument, is that I challenge myself to get better.  I started playing drums at 10, was gigging at 14, and had already gone beyond what my school instructors could teach me, so I started playing prog rock like Rush, for example.  To push my skills, I enjoyed the challenges of prog rock in the varying tempos and time signatures utilized therein.  Same thing with guitar; if I got comfortable playing a certain style, I then went for something more difficult.  Bass guitar was an offshoot of playing guitar, and I didn't really get into that until I started recording my solo albums and, well, I needed bass tracks; so I studied my favorite bass players and tried to learn their techniques and licks.  Keyboards I was trained on heavily in college.  But I also played trumpet in the marching band and pep band in high school,  because there was a lack of trumpet players and we had a lot of drummers!  So I mean, sometimes the challenge comes out of necessity, sometimes it comes from your own inner drive to be better.  To me, that's where the challenges lie in any instrument; how far can you push it?  And it's the same with vocals, I've just not gotten that far into singing and honestly prefer instrumental work. In your artist perspective, how would you interpret “Transcend” for our readers? Ahh, Transcend, yes.  Well, Transcend IS the title track from my album of, obviously, to be redundant, the same name.  Transcend the album is actually somewhat of a concept album, with the actual dictionary definition of the word transcend being the theme.  So let's look at that definition, which is 1:  Be or go beyond the limits of (something abstract, typically a conceptual field or division); or 2:  Surpass (a person or achievement).  Now Transcend, the song, narrows that concept down to a simple principle:  Being better.  And again, going beyond the limits, and surpassing achievements.  It's about trying to find ways to BE better:  A better person, a better man, a better artist.  It's about taking the good things in your life and building upon those.  It's about self-reflection, searching your soul for the good and ignoring the bad.  It's about analyzing your past, correcting your mistakes and living in the present to its fullest.  And even in a more personal sense, I'd had some tough times at and around the time of recording my "Stories" album, and I wanted to get the hell over it, I wanted to be a better person, and truthfully, I wanted to make a better album.  So it's really about self-improvement, as well as improvement of the human race; it's meant to show that we can all do this, be the best we can possibly be, with a bit of thought, education, desire, motivation and introspection. What major plans do you have for 2019? My main goal for 2019 is to finish and release my third solo album, currently already in the works, with the first song, entitled "A Day To Remember", already up on my website as an example of things to come.  This yet-untitled album will be comprised entirely of instrumental music, as I'm looking into the area of marketing this for licensing for TV/movies/commercials, etc.  Ancillary goals are to improve my mixing and production skills on this album, as well as further develop my skills in video editing, social media and marketing.  So basically, I'm going to be working, learning, and again, trying to improve in all areas.  I'm also recording again with Catherine Corelli, and we're on the second track of her album called "Heaven Syndrome", with the title track already completed; and it's amazing.  And I'll again be recording with the Conspiracy Theories Project.  So I've got my work cut out for me, and I'm on it! Connect with Scot Stoddard on social media: Website:  www.scotstoddard.net Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/scotstoddardmusic/ Instagram (Music):  https://www.instagram.com/scot.stoddard.music/ Instagram (Personal):  https://www.instagram.com/scotstoddard/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ScotStoddard #BuzzMusic

Ethan Lumus, an independent American pop artist based in Austin, TX, who began playing the piano and singing in his childhood church at the early age of four. As a kid, secular music was not played in his home but at the age of twelve, Ethan was first exposed to pop, electronic and country music. These genres in addition to the gospel music of his upbringing, impacted Ethan in a massive way and inspired him to begin writing and composing his own songs! By fusing these influences with his own artistic sensibilities, Ethan has crafted a unique brand of dark pop that is both captivating and energetic. Ethan Lumus instantly captures us with the lyricism of his latest release “Rich & Famous”. The profound genuineness behind the lyrics while keeping the motivational realistic approach with a hint of dreamy detail, Ethan has a relatable hit record that we can’t help but to love! “At the end of the day, we all want to be rich and famous, baby who can blame us” Ethan sings, “We all want to be pretty like the models, and say we met Madonna, and if not at least we know how to dream”. Ethan is basically telling us it’s absolutely okay to dream big, as long as we keep our faith and hard work ethic there’s nothing that can stop us, nor is there anything standing in our way! I think it’s great Ethan created a song like this because just like myself, many people have large dreams in life and it’s always great to hear a song that can give us a little reminder on why it’s okay to aim high! Ethan will no doubt in my mind connect with many people and “Rich & Famous” could be a hit for all! Listen to Ethan Lumus's new single "Rich & Famous". Check out our exclusive interview with Ethan, we chat about his music background and about his new album releasing this year. Hi Ethan, care telling our readers about yourself? Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me! my name is Ethan Lumus and i’m a singer, songwriter and producer from Austin, Texas. I’ve got 7 brothers and sisters, I majored in English in college and I've been writing my own songs for 10 years now. Is there any specific reason why secular music wasn’t played in your household at a young age? Secular music wasn’t played because I was raised in a very strict denomination of Christianity. So, no TV shows, no secular music and no Harry Potter. It was definitely a little isolating to have all my peers consuming these things and talking about them all the time and I just had no clue what was going on from a pop culture standpoint until 2007/2008. Do you remember your first impression of pop music when you were 12 years old? If so can you describe it for us! Taylor Swift was the very first non-christian artist I ever heard. My family was driving back from vacation and my Dad was listening to a country radio station while we were all sleeping. I woke up and heard Tim Mcgraw and was like, wait - people can sing about something besides Jesus?! it was a life changing experience for me. How important is it for an artist to connect with their listeners in your opinion? I think it’s so important for artists to connect with their listeners in a literal way online but I think it’s even more important that an artist knows what their listeners want over time in an emotional and human way. “Rich & Famous” is a fun yet motivational song. What inspired you to write it? Thank you so much for saying that! I had a blast writing it. I was really feeling low one day back in the summertime and I felt like I was never gonna break out into music the way I want and that I was going be working two jobs trying to pursue my dream forever. I wanted to turn that stress on it’s head and be kind of sardonic about this whole generation of 90s kids who grew up on Britney and the Spice Girls and reality TV and who just want to be rich and famous. It was super therapeutic to write and produce and even more fun to record. I’m also so grateful that this song was mixed by Geoff Swan who is just a total mixing pro and has learned from the best in his field. He really created a space for the production to thrive and i’m so glad we were able to work together. What can we expect out of your album you’re planning on debuting in June 2019? The album is all about exclamations. Each song is a big statement that I wish I would have made to myself or someone else or a realization that i maybe stumbled upon too late. It’s a really reflective album in terms of the songwriting. Production wise, it’s so fun. I made ten songs that I love listening to over and over again. There are songs that belong in a club, songs that sound like you’re crying on the deepest part of the ocean floor, songs that sound like you’re in a virtual world, songs that are inspired by music from the 80s and 90s. It’s all really cohesive though in spite of these varying influences and i’m really proud of the work we’ve done so far. Connect with Ethan Lumus on social media: Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ethanlumus Facebook: www.facebook.com/LUMUSofficial #BuzzMusic

Toga Doin’ Work is from Prince George’s County, MD, got his stage name inspired by a documentary on his favorite player Kobe Bryant did with Spike Lee called Kobe Doin’ Work. He’s an indie artist who likes to explore different types of vibes and sounds when it comes to his music. Toga Doin' Work released his first project last year titled “I’m Goin Up”. Toga Doin’ Work released his new single “Hit My Phone”, a slow-jam with a whole lot of urban vibes to manufacture a hit we can add to all our playlists where the energy is right and the mood is perfect. The perfectly tuned vocals are what’s in today. It makes “Hit My Phone” more appealing and thoroughly enjoying for the listeners. The lyrics in "Hit My Phone" are fun and fitting for today’s generation, for those who love a good vibe song to zone out in and repeat the lyrics on their social media’s and sing along with. I can see this becoming a hit for significant amount of people who simply loves smooth-sailing and intricate music that’s equipped with lots of detail and characteristics. “I’ll be right there when you hit my phone” was the highlighted lyric in the hook for me. What I interpreted from this single is that “Hit My Phone” is simply your typical “thinking about your crush” bop. However, we need songs such as this one to get us through any slight hint of dwellsome feelings when thinking about somebody special. Toga Doin’ Work does absolutely that and more with “Hit My Phone”. Listen to Toga Doin' Work's new song "Hit My Phone" and be sure to connect with him on social media for the latest new releases! Hi there, care to introduce yourself to our readers? I go by the name of Toga Doin' Work, I am indie artist from the DMV are, specifically P.G. County, MD. Been putting out music since 2017 and I released my first project called I'm Goin Up which was like an experiment to see which type of songs people like from and kind of see what direction I wanted to go musically. I guess you can say I was finding myself and what my audience would like to hear from me. What was your favorite song off your first project “Im Goin Up” ? My favorite song is actually the song that I have just released called "Good Morning". Which is out now on all streaming platforms. The reason why that is my favorite song is because of the fact that it is one of those songs that represents being thankful for the opportunity to see another day, the opportunity to further yourself in life, or what ever you may pull from the vibe of the song. With New Year's here, many people are grateful for another year to make their lives what they want it to be whether it is going to the gym, eating better, treating people better, or helping others. The mentality over all I want people to pull from the song is just be go getter and know that time waits for no one so the time that we have, we must take advantage of it. Who did “Hit My Phone” feature? Hit My Phone was my last release before Good Morning, and the song featured Kora the Artist @koratheartist who is also a DMV artist. She was great to have on the track and she totally killed the track which I was confident that she would. Look forward to doing more work with her in the future. How would you interpret Hit My Phone for your listeners from an artist perspective? Hit My Phone from my listeners perspective should be interpreted as a vibe of whoever in your life who means something to you at the time, this song should make you think about them. With it being winter time right now, people always want to be around loved ones and family and especially that special person in their life so that it the feeling I hope they receive when hearing it. From an artist perspective, Kora and I just wanted to speak from a male and female perspective of how men and women interact with their feelings. We both pretty much shared the same sentiments of I could be with any man/woman but I want to be with you also we just tried to cover that dynamic. What’s next for you in 2019? For 2019, I am very excited to just keep releasing music month after month, accompanying them with visuals and most of all, getting out and performing a lot. I got my first taste of performing in 2018 and now I'm looking forward to being able to move around even outside of my area and really build my fanbase up. Connect with Toga Doin' Work on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/togadoinwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/togadoinwork/ Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2R6GBMG YouTube: ww.youtube.com/togadoinwork #BuzzMusic